Wheel cover



Sept. 7 1948. N 2,448,536

WHEEL covm Filed May 12 1945 27 Van/UP 50 05 4'4 .9527 4/0 yK/M 1%51 Patented Sept. 7, 1948 j TATES PATENT; om-ct 1' 1 2,448,536 I i wHEELoovER jf George Albert Lyon, Allenhurst, N.. Application May 12,-, 1945, seen so. 593,471

This invention relates to a wheel cover and more particularly to a multipartcover for'an automobile wheeL I An object of this invention is to'provide a simple medium in a cover for taking up any play between the, cover and the wheel and whereby the cover canh'ave a tensioned tight engagement with at least oneof the wheel parts. I 7

Still" another object of this invention is to provide an improved multipart wheel cover wherein simple means is providedfor accommodating allowable manufacturing tolerances in the parts ofawheel. c

Another objectof this invention is to provide an improved type of retention for an automobile 'wheelcover.

In accordance with the general features of this invention; thereis provided in a cover struc ture fora wheel including tirerim and body parts and cover retaining means, ajwheel cover for the outer side of a' wheelhavin g 'an inner turned marginprovided with a resilient pliable cushion and having an outer portion engageable with one of said wheel parts, the, cushion upon engagement by the retaining means yielding' until thelouter portion of the cover tightly bears against the wheel in tensioned engagement therewith. r t

Another feature of the invention relates to the provision in the aforesaidstructure'of hub cap retaining means on the coverand ahub cap detachably engaged therewith lf'or concealing the cover retaining means and the inner margin of e Q Y. a I Other objects pareawms of this invention will more fully appear from the following de tailed des'cription taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich illustrate a single embodiment therewith and in which n h Figure 1 is a side view of a wheel structure embodyin the cover of my invention; V Figure 2 is anenlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line. IIII of Figure 1 lookingin the direction indicatedby ea nd I 1t Figure 3 is airagmentary detailview of the cover retainingmeans takenon substantially the line III-III of Figure 2 lookingto left. I

As shown in the drawings:

The reference character 9 designates generally a conventional automobilepneumatic tire" and tube, which is carried in the usual way bya multi flanged'drop center type of tire rim designated by thereference character to.- The tire and tube is provided with usual'valve stem- 8 which pro- 6 Claims. (01. 301 -37) jects through one .of the side flanges of the tire rim. r v

The tire rim is carried upona load-bearing or body part ll, whichis in theform :of a"meta1 lic stamping. The base flange of the rim may be secured in any conventional manner to the outer periphery of, the flbody part N. This body.

part includes adeprjessedcentral portion l2 terminating in a radially extending bolt-on flange l3 adapted to be secured by suitable caps'crews, bolts or the like (not shown), to a parton an axlesuch for exampleflas a brake drum, asis wellkhownintheartr It is the aim of this invention to providea novel cover for this wheel and which maybe held on the wheel by the usual hub cap retaining springs designated by the reference character I4; Each of these springs l4 includes'a leg 15 "fastenedto the base flange l3 of'the bodypartarid an axially extendinglegnlfi, *and' aturned back portion Ilh'aving an angular free extremity l8 over which-the coveror hulrcap, to be retained 'on the 'wheel, is adapted to be cammed. This type of s'pring clip -is sometimes" referred i to in the art as an inverted type Ofspring clip and is now well knownin the automobile industry. -The cover assembly of ,myinven-tionis designated generally by the reference character 20 and includes anannular cover member 2| and a cooperable hub cap22 detachably mountedbn the annular cover member 2|. The annular, cover member 2| has an'oute'r annular-portion 22a which terminates 'at its" periphery in a turned edge 23 adapted to overhang an :outer edge of the tire rim adjacent the side wall of the tire 9. In addition, this portion 22a has an'aperture' 24 through which the valve stem 8 is adapted to extend so as to'afford access to the valve stem without the necessitybf'removing the cover from thewheel: 1 r 5 'Ihe portion- 22aeXtends radially andaxially inwardly from -the" turned edge 23 toa turned portion 25, which, in turn-,-is connected to a fiattened portion 26 extending'substantially radially of the wheel. This flattened portion 26 has attached to it a plurality of hub cap retaining spring clips 21 which are also of the inverted typeasinthe casebf the clips 14; Both the clips 14 and 2'l 'may be of any suitable number sufficient to retain the cooperating cover parts on the wheel. I find that excellent resultsmay be obtained [by using either three or four of each of these 'clips arranged in a common circle. I The clip 21 has a turned free extremity 28 over. which the'turned' edge 29 of the hub-cap fl is edge portion 3| of the cover member.

adapted to be cammed into retained engagement with the turned portion 25 of the cover member 2|. A sufiicient clearance is provided between the turned edge 29 and portion 220. to permit of the introduction of a pry-oif tool under the turned edge for the purpose of prying the hub cap free of the clips 21 when it is desired to have access to the central portion of the wheel. The construction of the clips 21 is such that they permit of what is termed an easy on and hard ofi action insofar as the application and removal of the hub cap is concerned.

through which the free extremities 28 of the spring clips 21 are movable in the application of the hub cap to the member 2| as well as its h removal therefrom.

The flattened portion 26 of the cover member 2| terminates in an inwardly turned marginal portion 3| which at its inner edge has suitably secured thereto a circular rubber bead 32 adapted to be engaged by the free extremities l8 of the spring clips 14. This annular rubber ring 32 may have a figure 8 cross section and may have one of its portions secured in a bead on the inner The purpose of this cushioning bead is to yield so that the cover can accommodate manufacturing tolerances or variations in the wheel parts I0 and H. In other words, the purpose of this cushion is to take up any play that is between the point of bearing of the cover portion 22a on the edge of the rim and thepoint of contact with the retaining means at the center of the wheel. This rubber cushion will yield until the outer edge 23 of the cover member 2| is tightly in engagement with the outer edge of the rim. This insures a tight fit of the cover and provides for a cushioned engagement which would tend to minimize rattle of the cover on the wheel.

When it is desired to remove the cover member 2| the hub cap 20 is first removed in the manner previously described and thereafter a pry off tool may be inserted under the edge 23 to forcibly eject the member 2| from its retained cooperation with the spring clips I4. It should be noted that the spring clips I4 function in much the same manner as the clips 2'! in that they likewise permit of the so-called easy on and hard off" action. In reality, the free extremities i8 of the spring clips l4 wedge the edge of the cover member 2| under tension toward the body part of the wheel.

Both the cover members 2| and 22 may be made of anysuitable cheap material, such for example, as metallic sheet. The hub cap member 22, for example, may be made of stainless steel in which event it could be given a highly lustrous finish. The other member 2| could be made of ordinary sheet steel and suitably finished in color. A desirable color effect may be obtained by finishing the external surface of portion 22 in white in which event it will appear to constitute a white side wall part of the tire 9. The reason for this a with a resilient flexible cushion and having an outer portion engageable with one of said wheel parts, said cushion upon engagement by said retaining means yielding until said outer portion of the cover tightly bears against said wheel in tensioned engagement therewith.

2. In a cover structure for a wheel including tire rim and body parts and cover retaining means, a wheel cover for the outer side of the wheel having an inner turned margin provided with a resilient flexible cushion and having an outer portion engageable with one of said wheel I parts, said cushion upon engagement by said re- .taining means yielding until said outer portion of the cover tightly bears against said wheel in tensioned-engagement therewith, hub cap retaining means carried by said cover and a hub cap detachably engaged therewith and concealing said cover retaining means and the inner margin of said cover, an annular portion of the cover intermediate said margin and said outer portion being inwardly offset and affording a groove receptive of the hub cap edge, and said, hub cap retaining means urging saidhub cap edge into the groove.

3. In a cover for a wheel including a tire rim and a body part having cover retaining means, an annular cover having an outer portion for bearing against the tire rim and having an inner portion'provided with a resiliently pliable cushion engageable by the cover retaining means to hold said outer portion in tensioned engagement with the tire rim and to retain the cover on the wheel.

i. In a cover for a wheel including a tire rim and a body part having cover retaining means, an annular cover having an outer portion for bearing against the tire rim and having an inner portion provided with a resiliently pliable cushion engageable by the cover retaining means to hold said outer portion in tensioned engagement with the tire rim and to retain the cover on the wheel, and a hub cap detachably held on said cover to conceal said retaining means and the cushioned inner portion of the. cover, the outer portion of the cover being contoured to appear as a continuation of the side wall of a tire, and the hub cap directly meeting the inner boundary of said outer portion.

5. In a cover structure for a wheel including tire rim and body parts and cover retaining means, a wheel cover for the outer side of the wheel having an outer portion engageable with said tire rim part and an inner margin engageable with the body part and beingconstructed f and arranged to remain free of the wheel parts throughout a substantial extent between said inner margin and the point of engagement with said tire rim part, "and cushion means disposed for engagement by said cover retaining means radially outwardly from the point of engagement of said margin with the body part, said cushion being yieldable under the retaining engagement by said retaining means and pressing axially inwardly against the contiguous portion of the cover whereby to efiect fulcruming of the cover about said point'of engagement by said inner margin to drive the outer portion of the cover into tensioned bearing engagement with the tire Tim.

6. In a cover for a wheel including a tire rim and a body part having cover retaining means, an annular cover member having a radially outer portion for bearing against the tire rim and having a radially inner portion provided with a resiliently pliable cushion engageable by the cover 5 6 retaining means to hold said outer portion in tensioned engagement with the tire rim and to UNITED STATES PATENTS retain the cover on the wheel, and a hub cap Number Name D te detachably held on said cover member in con- 2,157,908 Lyon May 9, 1939 cealing relation to said radially inner portion and 5 2,186,216 Lyon July 18, 1939 said retaining means and the cushion.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent: 

